The Most Anticipated Games of 2014

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The Most Anticipated Games of 2014

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2013 was a solid year for most gamers, but that’s all we can say about it: solid. There were plenty of games, but out of the shelves that were filled for the year, you’d only likely pick a handful as the top-tier ones you would actually want to play again.

But hey, for us gamers a fresh year is always something to look forward to, especially when most of the E3 content of last year has gone by unseen in the market. 2014 is certainly looking to be filled with some highly attractive offerings, of which of course many are sequels, but that itself makes it all that more excitement.

Most Anticipated Games of 2014

Cutting the jabber, here’s our list of some of the most anticipated games of the year, categorized according to genre:

First-Person Shooter/Action

The reboot of the long-lost Thief series will titillate the nostalgia of many veteran PC gamers who were blessed enough to experience it.

The Stealth First-Person Action game reincarnates the cult classic saga with the use of the ever-reliable Unreal Engine 3, in a Victorian and steam-punk inspired world that players will explore through the perspective of master thief Garrett.

The game encourages espionage and stealth-based gameplay instead of conventional first-person action, ideal for the tacticians that enjoyed 2012’s Dishonored and for those who adored the original Thief.

TitanfallReleased Date: March 11, 2014Platforms: Win, X360, XBO

Exposure to just a few minutes of gameplay footage from Titanfall is adequate enough to mesmerize even the most skeptical viewer. It may seem like a conventional futuristic first-person shooter based multiplayer for the first few seconds, but once you begin running on walls ninja-style and controlling massive mechs called ‘Titans’, things turn from conventional to monumental.

And it’s no fluke; the genius behind Titanfall comes from the experienced gaming minds of the original creators of the influential Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Thus, the makers of one of the most successful online multiplayer shooter ever have succeeded in winning over a huge crowd of FPS gamers even before the release of the game, easily making it the most anticipated multiplayer shooter of the year.

DestinyReleased Date: September 9, 2014Platforms: PS3, PS4, X360, XBO

When rumors spread of Bungie developing a new first-person shooter, it was natural for gamers to get excited. After all, the team behind the inspirational Halo series was bound to come up with something exciting.

Destiny has a more or less subtle attraction to it as compared to the more flamboyant presentations of modern-day FPS games.

It feels highly conventional, yet the post-apocalyptic setting, the dynamic randomized environment, and the richness of the lore and plot give it a seductive effect that is both hard to explain and difficult to resist.

Added to it is an MMO styled multiplayer mode (Bungie would kill me if they found out I used that term for the game), making it vaster and even more seductive than it already seems.

With the reputation Bungie has, and the presentation of Destiny so far in its trailers and gameplay footages, it easily falls in the ‘highly anticipated’ category for 2014.

Halo 5Released Date: UnknownPlatforms: XBO

The flagship franchise of the Xbox console is getting yet another addition. No modern or classic gamer is unaware of the Halo series, of its empowering protagonist and dense lore.

Unfortunately, till now little is known about Halo 5 apart from confirmation that it will be released in 2014. We’re all waiting for some fresh news to roll in, hopefully along with at least a release window.

Action/Adventure

Even though Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain are two different games, Ground Zeroes plays as an ‘introductory’ title to the latter, which will cradle within itself the major plot. Little is known when Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will come out, but we do know that Ground Zeroes is not too far away.

So what will this brand new introduction ‘introduce’ to us? An open-world environment, a fresh new approach to tactical espionage action, and the full utilization of the FOX Engine.

Stunning graphics, a veteran Big Boss, a different gameplay approach, and a mysterious new antagonist are more than enough to pique the interests of all MGS lovers and Kojima admirers.

Bayonetta 2Released Date: UnknownPlatforms: Wii U

When the original Bayonetta was released way back in 2009, the hearts of many gamers melted over the sexy protagonist and her dashing (sometimes literally) moves and tricks.

Inspired by the fast-paced action gameplay of Devil May Cry, Bayonetta’s small but loyal followers soon demanded a sequal, but were denied one for four years.

The wait is finally over, and Wii U owners will get their hands back on the spectacle-wearing, heart-warming witch. No release date has been given out, but the confirmation (so far) of a 2014 release is good enough news and reason enough to warm the wallets of all the fans.

Ubisoft dominated last year’s E3 with two main titles: Watch Dogs and Tom Clancy’s The Division.

The multiplayer-only third-person shooter has the signature professionalism that comes with all Tom Clancy inspired games, and an additional mix of fantastic graphics and enthralling gameplay that will make the trigger-happy gamers go wild.

The game heavily encourages the usage of tactics, wit, leadership, team effort, and accuracy to overcome other opponent teams, making it a strong contender to become the primary competitive shooter of 2014.

Rockstar might’ve breathed a long sigh of relief when they heard that Watch Dogs was being pushed into 2014. The game was widely considered as the number-one contender for multiple Game of the Year awards even before it was ever released, with many agreeing that it could’ve overshadowed even Grand Theft Auto V.

A brilliantly designed futuristic open-world Chicago city, an enigmatic protagonist with believable friends and foes, and a hi-tech interactive system that allows players to hack, access, and control just about any and every electronic gadget in the game, Watch Dogs is a complete package of brilliance that is on its way to fame even without a fixed release date.

If not 2013, then Watch Dogs will certainly look to be stealing countless awards this year.

From the first second to the last of every single trailer and gameplay footage, Watch Dogs has managed to impress every single person who knows about it. It’s the game that allowed Ubisoft to steal the show during last year’s E3 conference, and is perhaps by far THE most anticipated game of 2014.

Horror/Survival

When I first saw the trailer of The Evil Within, I was convinced that it would be the first truly scary game I play in years. Full of blood, gore, and disturbingly nightmarish creatures, The Evil Within seems to contain everything to make it a modern epitome of pure psychological and conventional horror.

The third-person survival action will feature an unwelcoming world filled with monsters, spooks, and nerve-wrecking violence, making it perhaps the only real horror game of 2014 worthy of anticipation, even overshadowing Dying Light.

Racing

It’s not about the new cars, it’s not about the race-tracks or a story. It’s simply about detail.

Project CARS is so detailed, that it’s almost hard to believe anything could ever run it. That’s why it’s considered as a fully next-generation racing simulator game, and just a few pictures are adequate enough to facilitate that claim.

The engine used for the game, aptly named “Madness,” is really a display of pure madness. The focus isn’t on the new cars, but the immaculate details.

Whether it’s dew drops on the carbon-fiber spoiler, the autumn leaves that rest on the grass, or the cracks on the worn asphalt roads, the visuals and presentation of Project CARS is nothing short of overwhelming.

Add to that refined controls and gameplay mechanics and you get a sim that every racing enthusiast has dreamed of.

Role-Playing/MMO

The Elder Scrolls has long been the epitome for open-world RPG games, inspiring the creation of many other franchises.

With the expected success of Skyrim and it’s ever-living after effects still rippling across the PC platform in the form of mods and endless explorations, Bethesda decided to add in something no one expected: an Elder Scrolls game that would not only be filled with countless NPCs, but also real-life heroes such as yourself.

Set in the continent of Tamriel nearly a millennium before the events of Skyrim and 800 years before the events of Oblivion and Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls Online tells the tales of the times during which the Daedric Prince Molag Bal attempted to pull all of Tamriel in his own realm.

The seemingly endless world of The Elder Scrolls takes a new shape with this addition, and all PC RPG lovers will have itchy hands begging to craft swords, meet Daedric Princes, and encounter Molag Bal.

It’s a poorly hidden secret that even those who accused Diablo III of not living up to the reputation and glory of its predecessor have Barbarians and Wizards that stroll through the worn-torn Heavens in Inferno difficulty. When it comes to products from Blizzard, it’s almost always a guarantee that they will sell, and sell big.

The expansion for Diablo III brings with itself a new darker act, and a fascinating twist in the plot with the introduction of the long-lost Angel of Wisdom, Malthael.

If anything, Blizzard makes fantastic cinematics, and the trailer introducing the fallen angel is enough to attract all the followers of the RPG series.

Like Diablo III, and every other Blizzard project, it’s an almost certainty that the Reaper of Souls will sell like hotcakes.

The Witcher was a good game, but The Witcher 2 was absolutely brilliant. A fantastic set of characters, a great rich world, stunning visuals, and an engaging plot were more than enough to catapult the series to glory.

With such a heavy reputation preceding it, The Witcher series continues with Wild Hunt, set to be released sometime in the second quarter of this year.

RPG fans fortunate enough to have played the previous two games of the series will be licking their lips, eagerly awaiting the time when they can regain control of Geralt of Rivia in a lustrous world presented by a newer, better, and much more appealing graphics engine.

Dragon Age: Origins was so good, so good that despite the woeful Dragon Age 2, it’s easy to want and desire Inquisition.

Most followers of the series would believe BioWare has learned from their nearly unforgivable mistakes that formed the sequel to Origins, and will reintroduce a vast open world filled with the richness and density that made the original Dragon Age what it was: a master-piece.

Dragon Age: Inquisition allows players to embody the role of the powerful Inquisitor, as he/she attempts to stabilize and nullify the conflicts that arose following the events of Origins and DA2.

With a much larger open world and seamless transition from dungeon to dungeon, Dragon Age: Inquisition seems to be on the right track to become a game that could well live up to (or perhaps even exceed) the high standards set by Origins way back in 2009.